Microsoft Sales Specialist

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Our client is a Microsoft Cloud solutions provider seeking a commercially driven Microsoft Sales Specialist to grow its Microsoft Cloud business by building pipeline, creating customer demand and converting Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot, CSP and managed services opportunities into profitable outcomes.

JOB PURPOSE

This consultative Microsoft Cloud sales role is accountable for creating, qualifying and converting opportunities across Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot, CSP licensing and managed services, while working with technical specialists to deliver practical, customer-outcome-aligned solutions.

The successful candidate will build and manage a Microsoft sales pipeline, identify and close opportunities across Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot and Managed Services, grow existing customer relationships, acquire new customers, lead business-focused discovery conversations, collaborate with technical specialists, develop proposals and business cases, and achieve revenue, gross profit, pipeline and recurring revenue targets.

The role is consultative and solution-led. The Microsoft Sales Specialist must understand customer priorities, challenges and business outcomes before recommending licensing, services, assessments, workshops, projects, managed services or adoption-led next steps.

The purpose of the role is to grow the Microsoft Cloud business by creating, qualifying and closing profitable opportunities across Modern Work, Azure Infrastructure, Security, Copilot, CSP licensing, managed services and adoption-led cloud transformation. The role must translate customer business priorities into practical Microsoft Cloud opportunities, coordinate internal technical and commercial support, and ensure that customer engagements progress from discovery to proposal, closure, implementation, adoption and recurring managed services where appropriate.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Microsoft Cloud Sales Pipeline Management

• Build, manage & maintain a strong Microsoft sales pipeline across existing and prospective customers.
• Identify, qualify and progress opportunities across Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot, Managed Services and CSP licensing.
• Maintain disciplined opportunity tracking, sales-stage progression, next-step ownership, forecast accuracy and CRM hygiene.
• Develop account and opportunity plans aligned to the Microsoft Cloud Division's priorities.
• Build a balanced pipeline of licensing, project, advisory, assessment and recurring managed services opportunities.

Business Development and Customer Acquisition

• Grow existing customer relationships and acquire new customers for the Microsoft Cloud Division.
• Identify customers with Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, governance, cost optimisation, compliance, AI readiness, productivity or digital workplace needs.
• Open customer conversations around business outcomes rather than product features.
• Position the company as a partner that can complement existing customer investments and bring specialist Microsoft Cloud value.

Consultative Customer Discovery

• Lead business-focused discovery conversations to uncover customer priorities, challenges and Microsoft Cloud opportunities.
• Understand the customer's current environment, desired outcomes, urgency, business impact, stakeholders and decision process.
• Avoid product-led selling and first understand the customer's business problem, collaboration need, security challenge, cloud journey or cost concern.
• Identify entry points such as Microsoft environment assessments, licensing reviews, cost optimisation, security posture reviews, Copilot readiness and managed services.

Microsoft Solution Opportunity Development

• Develop opportunities across Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot and Managed Services.
• Position Microsoft 365 as a secure productivity, collaboration, governance and adoption platform rather than only Office licensing.
• Position Azure Infrastructure around resilience, scalability, governance, cost management, backup, disaster recovery, monitoring and infrastructure modernisation.
• Position Microsoft Security around identity confidence, threat visibility, data control, response readiness and audit defensibility.
• Convert suitable assessment or project opportunities into managed services, adoption services and recurring optimisation engagements.

Proposal, Presentation and Business Case Development

• Develop proposals, customer presentations and business cases that explain current state, target state, value proposition, roadmap, commercials and success metrics.
• Work with pre-sales and technical specialists to translate requirements into practical Microsoft Cloud solutions.
• Present recommended solutions clearly to business decision-makers, IT stakeholders and executive sponsors.
• Ensure proposals include commercial clarity around licensing, services, scope, assumptions, managed services, adoption requirements and success criteria.

Collaboration with Technical, Delivery and Partner Teams

• Collaborate with cloud advisory, pre-sales architects, licensing specialists, technical delivery teams, adoption resources and managed services teams.
• Engage technical specialists at the correct point in the sales cycle to support solution validation, architecture, assessments, workshops and customer presentations.
• Work with Microsoft, distributors and strategic partners to support co-sell alignment, campaigns, workshops and customer assessments where relevant.
• Ensure sales commitments are aligned to delivery capacity, margin expectations and customer success requirements.

Licensing, CSP and Commercial Optimisation

• Identify CSP licensing, Microsoft 365, Azure consumption and licensing optimisation opportunities within customer accounts.
• Help customers understand licensing value, consumption, renewal opportunities, unused services, optimisation options and managed service needs.
• Support licensing and commercial governance through accurate customer requirements, renewal visibility, commercial documentation and coordination with licensing resources.
• Use licensing as an account-entry and annuity opportunity while protecting service-led gross profit and recurring revenue growth.

Recurring Revenue and Customer Success

• Achieve agreed revenue, gross profit, pipeline and recurring revenue targets.
• Attach managed services, adoption services, optimisation reviews or support models to appropriate Microsoft Cloud opportunities.
• Support customer adoption and expansion through governance reviews, QBRs, cost optimisation, security posture improvements, Copilot readiness and managed cloud services.
• Contribute to long-term customer value realisation and renewal protection.

Sales Governance and Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of pipeline value, qualified opportunities, proposals, close dates, next actions, customer stakeholders and forecast status.
• Report performance against agreed targets and KPIs.
• Participate in sales meetings, forecast reviews, pipeline reviews and Microsoft Cloud Division planning sessions.
• Ensure opportunities are properly qualified, correctly scoped and commercially viable.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Must-have: 3+ years of ICT solution sales experience, strong B2B pipeline discipline, consultative customer engagement skills, proposal development capability and comfort selling Microsoft or cloud-aligned solutions with technical support.

Advantageous: Microsoft Partner, CSP, managed services provider, systems integrator, IT reseller or cloud services background, supported by Microsoft 365, Azure, Security, Copilot, licensing, public-sector or enterprise account experience.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Matric (Grade 12) – essential.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in business, sales, marketing, information technology, commerce or a related field is advantageous.
• Vendor, cloud, sales methodology or Microsoft training will be beneficial.
• Minimum 3+ years of ICT solution sales experience.
• Experience selling Microsoft solutions, cloud services, licensing or managed services.
• Proven ability to engage business decision-makers and conduct consultative, solution-led sales conversations.
• Experience building pipeline, qualifying opportunities, developing proposals and closing business in a B2B technology environment.
• Experience selling into mid-market, corporate, enterprise or public-sector accounts is advantageous, depending on assigned territory.
• Experience in a Microsoft Partner, CSP, managed services provider, systems integrator, IT reseller or cloud services environment is advantageous.

TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL KNOWLEDGE

The successful candidate does not need to be a deep technical engineer, but must be commercially fluent enough to identify customer needs, position Microsoft Cloud value, and involve pre-sales or technical specialists at the right time.

• Microsoft 365, Modern Work, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange Online, Intune and Copilot positioning.
• Azure Infrastructure concepts including virtual machines, networking, storage, backup, disaster recovery, monitoring, governance and cost management.
• Microsoft Security concepts including identity, endpoint, email protection, Defender, Sentinel, Entra and Purview at a customer-outcome level.
• CSP licensing, Microsoft licensing models, renewals, customer agreements, billing concepts and licensing optimisation.
• Managed services, adoption services, assessments, workshops, cloud roadmaps, remediation projects and recurring service models.

CERTIFICATIONS

• AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals – Preferred.
• SC-900: Security, Compliance and Identity Fundamentals – Preferred.
• MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals – Advantageous if already held historically (exam has since been retired by Microsoft).
• AB-900: Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals – Recommended as the current Microsoft 365/Copilot-aligned fundamentals option.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Consultative selling – able to lead discovery, identify pain points, qualify value and guide customers to practical next steps.
• Business outcome orientation – able to translate Microsoft Cloud capabilities into productivity, security, governance, resilience, AI readiness and cost optimisation outcomes.
• Commercial discipline – understands revenue, gross profit, pipeline, forecasting, recurring revenue and margin quality.
• Customer relationship management – builds trust with business decision-makers, IT stakeholders and executive sponsors.
• Internal collaboration – works effectively with pre-sales, licensing, delivery, adoption and managed services teams.
• Proposal and presentation skills – creates clear proposals, business cases and presentations aligned to customer priorities.
• Technology curiosity – shows passion for Microsoft Cloud, innovation and customer success.
• Accountability – owns pipeline actions, next steps, customer commitments and performance targets.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Pipeline and conversion – qualified pipeline value, coverage, opportunity progression, win rate and forecast accuracy.
• Revenue and margin – Microsoft Cloud revenue, gross profit, services mix, managed services attach rate and recurring revenue growth.
• Customer growth – new customer acquisition, existing-account expansion, assessments/workshops converted and renewal protection.
• Sales discipline – CRM hygiene, next-step ownership, proposal quality, partner alignment and completion of agreed Microsoft learning paths.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Hybrid role based in Pretoria.
• Regular customer meetings, internal sales meetings, partner sessions, pipeline reviews and Microsoft Cloud Division planning sessions.
• Travel within Gauteng and potentially other South African regions may be required for customer meetings, workshops, events or partner engagements.
• The role requires collaboration with sales, pre-sales, technical delivery, licensing/commercial, customer success, managed services, Microsoft and strategic partner stakeholders.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

• Accountability and ownership.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Good planning and organisational ability.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• High levels of integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.

APPLICATIONS

To apply, please submit your CV to ***email_hidden***